Looking for an over-commercial Song dynasty atmosphere? look no further than Hangzhou’s Song Dynasty Town which is a bizarre attempt at a cultural theme-park, obviously very local tourism oriented. If you’re interested in context – Hangzhou, with its long history, was the capital of Song dynasty since 1229 and is generally remembered as time of [...]
China is warming up to environmental protection and the concept of wetland parks. Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou is the first in a series of planned wetland parks across China. Right now, a few months after it’s been open to the public, it is still more of a half-built cultural attraction rather than a [...]
Hefang street (河坊街) is a bustling shopping street in Hangzhou said to be designed in an “old” Song dynasty style China. Always busy and crowded, full of shops and restaurants, this is the place to go for some serious mainland people watching, local snacks, and relatively expensive tourist souvenirs. It’s only a few blocks to [...]
Heavenly Wind of Wushan Hill (吳山天風), on the east side of West Lake, is one of the declared ten attractions surrounding Hangzhou’s West Lake (also see Lei Feng Pagoda).
On the top of Wushan Hill is the Chenghuang pavilion, completed in 1999 featuring Yuan and Ming architecture style, offering panoramic views of both Qiantang River [...]
On the southern side of Hangzhou’s West Lake, the tall Lei Feng Pagoda overlooks the lake. Dating back as a far as a thousand years, the pagoda was recently remodeled and rebuilt and is now one of the main attractions surrounding the lake.
The pagoda plays a part in the famous “Legend of [...]
The Hangzhou authorities have generally done a good job with the West Lake. It’s a lovely Lake to take a stroll around, with lots of places to take a rest, sip some coffee, get a drink, grab something to eat, and surrounded by lovely little gardens, temples, small museums and pagodas on the hills.
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Around Chinese New Year I took some time off from Hong Kong to discover a bit more of China, this time Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. The most famous spot in Hangzhou is West Lake, which I first heard about when I visited the gorgeous Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan. “You like Sun Moon Lake? wait [...]
Macau’s a great one day trip getaway from Hong Kong. To summarize the quick trip to Macau, here is a suggested itinerary for a Macau…
To start the tour, take bus number 3 from the main ferry terminal…
Walk around Senado Square and go inside St. Dominic’s church
Tour the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral and [...]
